Documentary filmmaker says Andrew Chan hoped his story could save the life of at least one person

A documentary filmmaker who worked closely with Andrew Chan in the lead-up to his execution says Chan believed if he could save only one person from drugs, then “it was worth it”.

Malinda Rutter, the creator of the documentary Dear Me: The Dangers of Drugs, which is now available to Australian and UK schools, said Chan passionately believed in cautioning others from making his mistakes.

“My ultimate hope, and Andrew’s ultimate hope, was that if we can save one person from a bad decision, from making a mistake, then it was worth it,” she told 9news.com.au.

Chan penned a six-page-letter which featured in the documentary in which he addressed his teenage self and warned high school students not to follow his path.

"Your life will be ended by a firing squad," Chan wrote to himself in the letter. (9NEWS) (9NEWS)

He was recorded reading out the letters from his Kerobokan cell and his voice was used in the film.

“Now the reason why I'm writing you this letter is to address you guys about the dangers of drugs and the effects it can have on you and also others,” he wrote.

“To tell you a little bit about my life story, I was once 15 or 16 and it wasn’t too long ago I was sitting in a class just like you guys.

“I was an average kid, and let me tell you that my teachers didn’t like me one bit, and I was no teacher’s pet. But to cut a long story short, I got mixed up with drugs at a pretty young age, and by the time I was 15, I was merged into the scene.

“I have seen many friends pass away, and I’m sure if they had a second chance now to do things differently, they would have.”

The letter went on to express his regret.

“My life is a perfect example of an absolute waste,” he said.

“Now to elaborate the effects of where I am, I've missed weddings, I've missed funerals and the simple presence of my own family.

“The hurt and pain - I don't just put it onto myself, but the pain I put on my family is agonising.”

Chan at his wedding on the eve of his execution. (9NEWS) ()

Ms Rutter said it had been a very tough 24 hours for her after learning Chan and Myuran Sukumaran had been executed by a firing squad early yesterday morning.

“I think we all held out hope, everyone who knew Andrew, we held out a bit of hope until the end,” she said.

She said the Bali Nine pair had accepted their fate but Chan was very distressed about the wellbeing of his family.

“The most distraught I have ever seen Andrew was in January, when six death row inmates were executed. He always thought of other people before himself, and he was so distressed for his friends and family,” she said.

Chan with his girlfriend Febyanti Herewila, who became his wife shortly before his execution. (Supplied) (Supplied)

Ms Rutter said the documentary was a passion project after she lost a sister to a heroin overdose. She said the film was difficult to fund and had not been commissioned.

She said Chan was eager to participate after watching Better Man, a two-part SBS film about the 2005 execution of convicted Australian drug trafficker Van Tuong Nguyen, who was hanged in Singapore.

“He asked me to see it, and I said, ‘Are you sure you want to see it?’ [But] he thought it was a really great film, and such an important message to get out,” she said.

In the letter, he also addressed his teenage self.

“Your family and friends are heartbroken, and your life will be ended by a firing squad,” he wrote.

“Underneath, you’re not a bad person and drugs made you different.”

Chan was 21 and Sukumaran was 24 when they were arrested on April 17, 2005 for attempting to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia. The pair spent almost ten years on death row before they faced the firing squad.

Chan married his girlfriend Febyanti Herewila shortly before his death.